


Fast Forward

by charmandu



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 16:50:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16559528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charmandu/pseuds/charmandu
Summary: Summer of 2002 featuring little Minhyun and little Jaehwan.





	Fast Forward

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt is from Anna-Marie's song, [2002.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il-an3K9pjg)

At the young age of seven, Minhyun has learned to like hospitals.

It’s white, it’s clean, and the quiet doesn’t fail to give him a sense of contentment and peace.

He visited the hospital every now and then because of his mother who was the head nurse. She was actually stationed in another department, something he knew only to be about brains and opening up people’s heads. He didn’t like it there, no, not at all. So he spent his time more in the pediatric department where the walls were still white but there are colors from corner to corner to appease children who might be too scared to face the needle or hesitant t swallow their medication.

It was in one of its corners where he envisioned himself to be working at in the future--white robes, clean hands, and quiet nights--the pediatrics is where he belongs. He often saw his mother in struggle to finish everything all at once so they could go home together and have dinner. Little Minhyun knew that he will need the complete command of time management in order to be as good as a nurse, or a doctor (whichever he would fall in love with first, once middle school brings up biology).

It was also in its corners where he realized that puppy love is real and falling deeper is easy. One afternoon was all it took and the hospital seemed to _glow._

Minhyun heard guitar playing not far away from the playroom he’s occupying all by himself. The other kids in the hospital were still napping and he just woke up ten minutes ago, fighting the urge to bug his mother in the next building for a snack. Looking up, he saw that the door to the playroom was open, attracting him more to stand up and follow where the sound was coming from. He took a mental note to start on page 24 the moment he goes back from his little adventure.

Curiosity is good, Minhyun knew it. But it also scared him and made him feel uneasy.

He found the room where the guitar could be heard from. The door was ajar that the setting sun gave a natural spotlight to the performer. The red-orange tint of the sunset made seven-year old Minhyun say “Tomato!”

The boy sitting on the neatly arranged bed carrying a small guitar looked up to him, weirded out that there’s a kid wandering around the halls without an IV drip with them. “Huh?”

Minhyun realized what he just did so he blushed in humiliation, making his cheeks redden like the sunset. “I’m sorry, did I scare you?” His little voice still managed to come out.

The kid on the bed smiled at him, “No, not at all. I guess you’re just weird. Come here.” The child pointed to the chair in front of him using his lips.

“How come you’re not wearing the gown?” Minhyun uttered before sitting down and relaxing his shoulders. Their first encounter wasn’t really that smooth.

The boy played the guitar again. It’s amazing how the kid could play the guitar without looking at his hands. His eyes were trained on him. It’s almost similar to the look he gives his mom when he has waited for him to go home.

“Oh, I’m discharged today. My mom told me to wait here since she’s still processing the papers and paying the bills.”

“Was it something serious?” Minhyun regretted it the moment he said it out loud. He might frighten the kid away, he might cry, or he might not win this friendship. Little Minhyun couldn’t decide which is scariest of the three. Especially since one, his mother would be mad if he bugs other patients in the hospital, more so if they cried, and two, he didn’t have that many friends here and he’s losing one already? _Sigh._

“No silly, it’s just chicken pox.” The kid pulled the sleeves of his shirt to show him dried up scars. “I’ve been here for a week and they’ve only let me touch my guitar now. I missed it so bad.”

Minhyun giggled at the proclamation. “You’re very good, by the way. How old are you?” He finally realized that he’s been searching for the proper word to describe the color of his eyes. His limited vocabulary gave him chocolate and chestnut though from thinking about it a few more times, he’s suddenly confused if there was really a difference between the two.

“Th-thank you. I’m six.” Minhyun thought he liked the kid’s voice too much, despite the short encounter. “And I’m Kim Jaehwan.” The kid smiled at him, showing his dimpled cheek. “What’s your name?”

Minhyun took a second to answer. “I’m Hwang Minhyun, I guess I’m a little older than you. I’m already seven.”

“Wow, you’re a big boy, hyung.” Jaehwan said in awe with no hint of teasing. Minhyun smiled at the kid’s sincere compliment. He thinks they could be good friends.

“I’m going to play a song for you just because you reminded me of the chorus.” Jaehwan looked at his fingers, moving ever so smoothly and capturing the right strings. He seemed a little hesitant but the sound still felt good to hear.

He glanced up at Minhyun before he started singing, eyes falling easily to the neck of his guitar.

 _When you were here before_ __  
_Couldn't look you in the eye_ __  
_You're just like an angel_  
Your skin makes me cry  
  
It was almost funny to Minhyun that the kid in front of him became suddenly shy the moment he started on the lyrics. He was very confident just a few minutes ago. Minhyun decided that Jaehwan probably has a different personality when singing. His voice is so small yet so smooth. It’s cute.

 _You float like a feather_  
_In a beautiful world_  
_And I wish I was special_  
_You're so special_

Jaehwan looked at Minhyun before continuing to the chorus and then his smile faded away, he’s serious now.

 _But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo_  
_What am I doing here?  
_ _I don't belong here_

Jaehwan’s voice lingered in the four walls of the room even after he stopped singing a minute ago. The sun had fully set and the fluorescent lights from the hall illuminated both of their shining eyes, focused on looking at each other. Both of them were waiting for the other to react. That moment didn’t come.

Jaehwan’s mother peeked inside the room. “Oh hello, who’s your new friend?”

“I’m Hwang Minhyun ma’am. Sorry if I held Jaehwan from coming to you.”

“Oh such a polite boy. Don’t worry, Minhyun. I was really supposed to fetch him here. Say good bye now, Jjaeni.” Little Jaehwan held his guitar and rested it on his feet, he stood straight beside his mother and waved at Minhyun who was still sitting.

“Bye, Minhyun hyung. Nice to meet you.”

Days passed and he never knew when they’ll meet again. A week after that, he caught chicken pox and insisted to his mom that he stay in the same room as the boy who made him think of colors, music, and _tomatoes._

It’s been fifteen, no, sixteen years after that one fateful afternoon. Minhyun is now an adult and the scars of his chicken pox are long gone. He’s almost at the end of his pre-med course and he’s so excited to finally get into the course that will lead him back to the halls of the hospitals he has loved.

It’s summer and he’s trying to enjoy the last ‘available’ summer of his life.

The smell of beer, ice cream, and pasta are all mixed in with the warm breeze of summer. Everyone abandoned their cardigans, long sleeves, and leg warmers for t-shirts, skirts, and light denim jeans. It’s colorful once more--summer is here.

Minhyun’s small studio apartment is situated in a narrow street near Hongdae, an area known for its live performances, good restaurants, and apparently, korean barbecue. Unbeknownst to other guests passing by the area is that the street actually has two sides: one is like an understudy of a city while the other feels like the retro area before the shores in California. Minhyun loves both of its sides but it will always depend on his day where he’ll get a beverage and sit down, perhaps to observe the dozens of people walking past him.

He likes it here. He’s still young but the youthful feeling is in full blast in Hongdae.  

He goes to a newly opened cafe just near the train station. It stood out from the others because of its turquoise and white paint. The color cooled his eyes and made him thirsty; but he isn’t in the mood for beer. So he goes to the next cafe instead to order a milkshake.

The line is a little long but he’s willing to wait. If the picture on the menu is not lying, what he ordered is a strawberry milkshake that comes with a candy cane-looking straw. It’s Friday and he knows he deserves this. Two minutes in the waiting line and he hears a faint song that sounds familiar, like the sound the radio makes when you’re trying to find a station. His brain tries to focus on it but the other songs in the background are louder--especially IU’s Good Day which is a strong contender in his brain’s humming powers.

He goes out of the cafe for a little while to make sense of the song he can’t quite place in his mind. Summer breeze greets him and the music boggling him gives him another hint. It’s been a while since he heard this song and he can’t search his mind for the lyrics. He spends more than a minute standing outside, making sense of the directions of Hongdae, pulling the busking map of the area in his mind.

The song reaches its second chorus and Minhyun’s feet suddenly feel heavy, hesitant where he should go first. He goes inside the cafe and tells the first barista he sees that he will just come back for the Strawberry Milkshake (to go).

Minhyun automatically puts his hand on his nape, unsure of the next steps he’ll be taking. His gut tells him that the song is coming from the right side of Hongdae, while his ears confuse him, telling his mind that he should go run to the opposite side.

He goes to the right. The first performer he sees isn’t even singing so he continues to walk in search of the familiar song.

He passes by a wailing girl, loud enough for the whole area to turn their heads and look for its source.

Milkshake long forgotten, he follows the sound of the guitar playing, and his gaze lands on a beautiful boy lit up by the sunset behind him.

“Tomato!” He blurts out, and his eyes widen when he realizes what he just said.

The performer looks at him though, his red hair even redder with the setting sun behind him; and when their gazes lock, all Minhyun could think about is chocolates and chestnuts. He wonders briefly if they are even two separate shades, but all thoughts of color drift away at the familiarity and recognition in those brown eyes, the boy with the guitar taking him back to 2002.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know if u have prompts! 
> 
>  
> 
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/charmandu)  
>  [twitter](https://twitter.com/charmandu27)


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